Today, American black metallers Azathoth’s Dream premiere the new track “The Moor”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment, set for international release on December 8th via Iron Bonehead Productions on vinyl LP format. Hear Azathoth’s Dream‘s “The Moor” in its entirety here:
Azathoth’s Dream are a brand-new entity hailing from the United States. On one hand, the one-man band’s sound is undeniably late ’90s French vintage, maintaining a similarly necrotic-yet-aristocratic mysticism not unlike Osculum Infame, Bekhira, Winter Funeral, and very early Seth. On the other, one could liken Azathoth’s Dream to the uprising of raw vampiric black metal in the U.S., spearheaded by Sanguine Relic, Vampirska, early Lamp of Murmuur, and Geist of Ouachita among others. Either way, one listen to the aptly titled Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment and one will be indeed bewitched by the band’s melancholic-yet-feral spell…or duly repulsed by it. There’s no other way; just like those stratifying days of the 1990s, you either understand this as BLACK METAL – and stand with it – or you stand against it. It matters not to Azathoth’s Dream: the empty castle’s drawbridge is down, and one need only enter if the spirits are willing.
Hear the previously revealed “A Millennia Perished” HERE at Iron Bonehead‘s Soundcloud. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Azathoth’s Dream’s Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment A1 Malignant Faith A2 Instatiable Sanguine Thirst A3 The Grave A4 The Moor A5 Extinguish the Light B1 Ritual Exsanguination B2 A Millennia Perished B3 Winter Dawn B4 Phantasm
Today, neon metallers Avræ Lvnæ premiere the new track “Ntdd Strl”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Ntdd Strl, set for international release on December 8th via Signal Rex. Hear Avræ Lvnæ‘s title track “Ntdd Strl” in its entirety here:
Avræ Lvnæ are a power-trio hailing from the still-rising Ecuadorian black metal scene. Fronted by Wampyric Strigoi – mainman of Wampyric Rites, who’ve had a huge hand in shaping that scene, as well as Grymmstalt, Winterstorm, and Dungeon Steel among many others – Avræ Lvnæ also feature erstwhile Wampyric Rites / Dungeon Steel drummer Eblis Destructor and one Geist der Natur on guitar and bass. Uniquely, the band brand their black metal “neon metal,” which isn’t as garish as it sounds; rather, they draw to the fore the shimmering, stained-glass textures of mystical black metal, making for a mesmerizing (and MELODIC) display of psychedelic obsidian.
Now, after a compilation appearance and demo last year, Avræ Lvnæ conjure the full fathom of their dazzling powers with the debut album Ntdd Strl. Containing a beguiling set of phonetically challenging song titles – or rather, a certain “code” to decipher – Ntdd Strl makes its point plainly and poignantly with an immediately sumptuous feast of sonics. Actually-gorgeous synths play a prominent role here, weaving in and out of the frequently chorused guitars, whose reverberating melodies penetrate the soul with ease and elan. Vocals are a suitably emotive ululation from both space and tundra, psychic or otherwise, where stargazing mysteries are writ large and wondrously. Whereas so much of the Ecuadorian style of black metal seethes with rabidity and rawness, there’s an almost aristocratic air to Avræ Lvnæ here, or at least a synthesis of classic cosmic and medieval BM idioms – and that “space” is indeed space, for their textures allow ample room to immerse oneself without being onslaughtered by that rabidity & rawness. Thus, one could reference early Abigor, Gehenna, and Ragnarok as well as later Lunar Aurora, Evilfeast, and Midnight Odyssey, but Avræ Lvnæ are raising the banners for NEON METAL high and proud!
Hear the previously revealed “N l Mjstvs Nch” HERE at Signal Rex‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Avræ Lvnæ’s Ntdd Strl 1. Ntr – Cnstlcn d Rn 2. Ntdd Strl 3. N l Mjstvs Nch 4. Crpt Strl 5. Ls Strlls sn ls Js Csmcs 6. Scndnd ls Nfns Cnfn Strl 7. Ls Rgns Hnsptas dl Vnrs 8. Vtr – Cntlcn d Scrpn
Today, Swedish black metal elite Mephorash stream the entirety of their highly anticipated fifth album, Krystl-AH. Set for international release on November 10th via Shadow Records (distributed & marketed by Regain Records) on CD and cassette tape formats – the double-LP vinyl version will be released on November 17th – hear Mephorash‘s Krystl-AH in its entirety here:
“Out of the depths and from the makings of Shem Ha Mephorash, we are now proud to present to you all the birth of a new era of Mephorash in the form of our upcoming new album, Krystl-AH. This will be a wholly new chapter within the creative process of ours, involving a new way for us to look upon the way we write our lyrics and compose our music…”
Indeed, such is the way of Sweden’s Mephorash. With a wealth of underground experience and an ever-restless but always-tactical manner of making music, their ascent up the ranks of international black metal has been decisive and well-earned. Although their catalog since their formation in 2010 has always been of sterling quality, it was 2019’s aforementioned Shem Ha Mephorash – a literally MASSIVE album at 74 minutes, released to widespread acclaim by Shadow Records – where Mephorash dramatically claimed their throne. And upon evidence of the forthcoming Krystl-AH, they’re not likely to relinquish that throne any time soon.
“We have made the decision to try and step away from the commonalities of traditional ‘black metal,’ and have instead sought to find inspiration from the depths within ourselves, making this a work of deep and personal significance for us,” the band continue. “It will dive ferociously into a myriad of topics, ranging from the mysteries of the ‘Krystl-AH,’ the gnosis of light, and divine narcissism to tantric sexual magic, and also dive deep into the traumatic and yet blissful events that created the project now known as Mephorash.”
That feeling of both ceremony and celebration is immediately felt upon pressing “play” to Krystl-AH. Another literally massive album, the 68-minute Krystl-AH moves with an ominous beauty – breathtaking, brilliant, and yet suggesting vast, frightening mysteries beyond its wide-ranging scope. A suitably vast army of damned angels serve as the backing choir to these seven incredibly epic compositions; soul-stirring leads rise and fall with grace, while sonic spaces open up and deftly subtle layers of strings, synths, and acoustic guitars flesh out this almost sensual experience – nothing ever in a rush to find its destination, only ever the feeling of being IN THE MOMENT, patient and complete. This soundfield alone serves a distinct backdrop separating Mephorash from conventional “black metal,” far closer to a classical score but no doubt infused with the central energies of true religious black metal. It’s not incorrect to suggest that one could get lost in any one of these epics – in fact, two top 10 minutes each – but it’s a journey that infinitely rewards the intrepid and inquisitive, those who wish to surpass their personal Rubicon to receive illumination…and damnation. “We have been diligently carving out and perfected this project for the last four years,” they conclude, “through anger, love, hate, tears, sweat, pandemics, and pure chaos in all its shapes and forms to make this a reality. So now we are so incredibly proud to finally be able to present to all of you who have been waiting ever so patiently…Krystl-AH. Shem Ha Mephorash!”
Preorder info can be found HERE at Regain Records‘ Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Mephorash’s Krystl-AH 1. Krystl-Ah [7:38] 2. Gnosis [10:19] 3. Catoptrophilia [6:45] 4. Soma Yoni [8:44] 5. Chysallís [7:43] 6. I Am [9:17] 7. Mephoriam [16:41]
On January 19th, 2024 internationally, Dying Victims Productions will release Boundless Chaos’ highly anticipated debut album, Sinister Upheaval, on CD and vinyl LP formats. And today, wepremiere the new track “Guillotine.“ Hear Boundless Chaos’ “Guillotine” in its entirety here:
Hailing from Germany, the land ever brimming with ancient thrash metals, Boundless Chaos was begotten in the year of 2017 when M.F., P.K, T.B., and M.J. heaved bloody deathrash straight up from the ashes of hellfire. With a brutal barrage of drums, slashing guitars, and throbbing bass-lines, they unapologetically worship the sound of the old. In 2019, E.M. completed the force. Now whole, Boundless Chaos have been spitting the hellish gospel of chaos, upheaval, fire, and antifascism across an EP in 2020 and then two splits in 2020 – one with Idle Ruin, the second with fellow Germans Reign in Blood.
Still, the best was yet to come, and it’s now arrived in Boundless Chaos’ debut album, Sinister Upheaval. Aptly titled, Sinister Upheaval is a ravaging onslaught of deathened thrash built upon a blazing foundation of early Dark Angel, Possessed, Texas’ Devastation, Sepultura’s Schizophrenia, and of course, Sodom’s Persecution Mania (and even Agent Orange!). Here, Boundless Chaos stick to their tried ‘n’ true formula, but simply maximize the muscle and tighten the execution; when graced with a well-rounded (yet requisitely dirty) production, the result is nothing short of powerful. And adding to the Chaos is Malte Gericke (Sijjin, ex-Necros Christos), who does guest vocals on “Guillotine.” No gimmicks, no modernity, no non-metal influences – just straightforward & straight-ahead THRASH METAL from the unholy years of 1986 and ’87, torched to a crisp, and set to conflagrate YOU!
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Boundless Chaos’ Sinister Upheaval 1. Down 2. High Tension 3. Arson from Beyond 4. Kromer’s Whistle 5. Guillotine 6. Tyrant’s Call 7. Blasphemous Rupture 8. Rip out the Roots 9. Demons Unchained
Today, Signal Rex announces December 9th as the international release date for a brand-new compilation from Voëmmr titled Negras sessões no abismo sul on CD and vinyl LP formats.
From their shadowy beginnings in 2017, Portugal’s Voëmmr have continued to be enigmas in a Portuguese black metal scene already possessing plenty of enigmas. Much of that enigma status hinges on the Aldebaran Circle, which includes the esteemed likes of Ginnungagap, Trono Além Morte, and Ordem Satânica, but Voëmmr‘s inclusion is nevertheless crucial. They proved that status with their full-length Nox Maledictus their very year of emerging from the void, but it’s the band’s successive recordings which proved how haunting and harrowing black metal could be.
That all blossomed in earnest with 2018’s Sombr Moebrd demo, which starts off the new collection Negras sessões no abismo sul. Rarely has organ-led black metal been this spectral and shimmering whilst portending horrific ideas from beyond the shade…indeed, the three-song recording sounds like the work of ghosts. On the second half of Negras sessões no abismo sul is the Voëmmr‘s most recent demo, Tordaebr Odr Daebr. Released in that cursed year of 2020, the four-song recording maintains that magickal & malnourished sound which they’ve made their own – and, it must be said, whilst continuing the cryptic dialect created by legendary French forebears Belketre – but pushing the dichotomy of beautiful / eerie to further, more perverse extremes.
Calming before the dread sets in, Negras sessões no abismo sul is a timely reminder of Voëmmr‘s still-considerable powers, as they prepare to play this year’s Signal Rex-curated Invicta Requiem Mass and next year’s Howls Of Winter fest in Estonia.
In the meantime, hear the original tracks of Sombr Moebrd here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Voëmmr’s Negras sessões no abismo sul 1. Untitled I 2. Untitled II 3. Untitled III 4. Maesticae 5. Fogr mae Raedrae 6. Svwtae Tordaebr 7. Nesraetr odr Tvmlar
Today, Werewolf Records announces December 15th as the international release date for the highly anticipated third album of Finland’s Vargrav, The Nighthold, on CD and cassette tape formats. The vinyl LP version will follow next year.
From the dawn of the classic debut album, Netherstorm, in 2018, Finland’s Vargrav have almost single-handedly reinvigorated the oft-maligned symphonic black metal subgenre. Forged in fires from the ancients – founder V-Khaoz’s credentials are vast and stretch back decades – and stoking the embers last left by Obtained Enslavement and Norway’s Covenant and Odium, Vargrav‘s two albums to date stand as proud pillars of shimmering, classics-based obsidian.
As momentous as those two full-lengths have been, Vargrav arguably eclipse both with their third album, The Nighthold. With a lineup that now includes the notorious Graf Werwolf von Armageddon on vocals and Moonsorrow members Trollhorn of the Black Harvest on guitars/bass and Baron M. Tarwonen on drums, Vargrav‘s swirling, cosmic surge has never been more potent; their attack is both sharper and dreamier, crystal-clear and opaque simultaneously. That added clarity creates more immediacy as The Nighthold kicks in, for the aggression of old is kicked into overdrive here and the synths take on a truly orchestral aspect. It’s not for nothing that the album is a full hour in length: everything here sounds (and feels) HUGE, one massive velvety purple landscape of stained-glass visions as far as the third eye can see. And all 12 tracks are threaded together in a plausibly cinematic manner; while each is mighty in its own respective right, Vargrav sequence every song with artistic flair and high drama, concluding the immersive experience with a daresay-soulful guitar solo during the coda of “Creator of the True Real” that then segues into the nearly-10-minute big-screen instrumental “Ghostlands.” What film or filmic realm one enters into (or leaves) is entirely up to the listener…The Nighthold is boundless!
It is thus not unjust to liken this achievement to Covenant’s classic Nexus Polaris. The second era of Vargrav has hereby begun with The Nighthold!
In the meantime, hear the recently revealed track “Chalice of Silver and Blood” here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Vargrav (Finland)’s The Nighthold
1. Moonless Abyss of the Nighthold 2. Through the Woods of Breathing Shadows 3. Chalice of Silver and Blood 4. Thy Imperial Malice 5. Curse of the Plaguewood Lake 6. Encircle the Spectral Dimension 7. Triumph of the Nightbringer 8. Into the Shadow Crypts 9. The One Who Lurks Beyond the Starscape 10. A Dark Consecration 11. Creator of the True Real 12. Ghostlands
Today, Hells Headbangers announces December 15th as the international release date for a brand-new mini-album from Demoncy, Diabolica Blasphemiae, on CD and cassette tape formats. The 12″ vinyl version will follow next year.
For those who truly know black metal, Demoncy require no introduction: ever restless and always surprising, their name is legendary for stirring an infinitely deep cauldron of black magick that’s completely their own. One of the earliest black metal bands on American soil, Demoncy have gone through myriad lineups over the past 30-plus years, but they’ve always been guided by the vision of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ixithra. In their wake, they’ve left landmark recordings like Within the Sylvan Realms of Frost and Joined in Darkness, which were both originally recorded in the mid ’90s despite their eventual release year of 1999. Even latter-day records like 2015’s Empire of the Fallen Angel (Eternal Black Dominion), which saw Ixithra entirely revamp the band’s 2003 album in a manner most miasmic, prove the potency of Demoncy no matter when or how recordings crop up.
And so it goes with Diabolica Blasphemiae, Demoncy‘s first new recording in nearly a decade. With Ixithra currently handling vocals and bass, joining him here are the incredibly prolific VJS (Nightbringer, Sargeist, Adaestuo) on guitar and Vorthrus (Cerebral Rot, Crurifragium) on drums. Serpentine in its flow and mesmerizing in its effect, Demoncy‘s latest mini-album is a vile, virile display of the band’s eternal aesthetic, sounding very much like it could’ve come out during the mid ’90s yet retaining a freshness of approach that defies deja vu. Gutted in its low-end throb whilst exhibiting an ethereal aspect, Diabolica Blasphemiae explores above as it is below, sending forth sine waves of obsidian energy both punishing and pleasurable: primeval black metal magick harnessed with a true auteur’s touch. Same as it ever was, then, but still so surprising after all these years – there is only one Demoncy.
In the meantime, hear the recently revealed title track “Diabolica Blasphemiae” here:
Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover artwork, courtesy of Nestor Avalos, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Demoncy’s Diabolica Blasphemiae 1. Satanas Vult [2:23] 2. Diabolica Blasphemiae [5:58] 3. Sepulcrum Spectra [5:15] 4. Malum Incarnatus Est [6:58] 5. Consummatum Est [1:54]
On November 23rd internationally, Sepulchral Productions is proud to present Sombre Héritage‘s highly anticipated second album, Inter Duo Mundi.
Three years after a debut album that drew a lot of attention, Sombre Héritage strikes hard with its sophomore album, which sees its mastermind Exu propel his epic black metal towards new heights. Inter Duo Mundi offers a relentless barrage of incisive and melodic riffs, each one more memorable that the last, complemented by an ice-cold yet powerful production. A must for fans of melodic black metal!
First track premiere to be revealed shortly. Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Sombre Héritage’s Inter Duo Mundi. 1. Inter Duo Mundi – Initium 2. Alces Alces 3. Chasse Éperdue 4. Délire Onirique 5. Enchevêtré 6. Tiraillé 7. Insolence 8. Inter Duo Mundi – Exitus
Today, Purity ThroughFire announces December 21st as the international release date for Avskräde‘s highly anticipated second album, Undergång, on CD, vinyl LP, and A5 digipack formats.
In December 2021, Avskräde emerged from storms of old with their debut full-length for Purity ThroughFire, Det stora tunga sjuka. Hailing from Sweden, the duo dutifully reinvigorated ancient Scandinavian black metal, both from Norway as well as their native land. No more but definitely no less, Det stora tunga sjuka was traditional BLACK METAL Exclusively: pure freezing fire, nasty and rustic and primitive but not without nuance.
And so it goes, a full two years later, with Avskräde‘s Undergång. Whereas the duo’s debut reminded of Darkthrone’s “Peaceville trilogy” and Malicious-era Gorgoroth, here on their second album do they kick up the nastiness and let the (freezing) filth flow freely, nodding to such underrated Darkthrone tomes as Total Death or even Ravishing Grimness. Indeed is Avskräde‘s grimness ravishing across Undergang, but compared to successive disciples as early Craft and Armagedda, the duo incorporate a slight bit more melody into proceedings – at times haunting, others anxious, but always hammered with cruel efficiency. And if there’s one phrase to characterize Avskräde at this point, it’s “cruelly efficient”; their songwriting is stripped to the fucking bone, but every note and hit is fucking RIGHT, and their live-in-the-rehearsal-room execution is blanching in its tightness. And once again, the album maintains a richly Grieghallen-esque production for maximum authenticity. Winter is looming, so hasten its arrival with Undergång!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Må du brinna” here:
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Avskräde’s Undergång 1. Må du brinna 2. När bönerna tystnat 3. Mänsklighetens avskräde 4. Av lågornas hunger förtäras 5. Natten nalkas 6. Naturens borg 7. Forskarlen 8. Ty du skall ner i jorden skrämmas 9. Mörker du majestätiska 10. Ångest 11. Fri
Today, Polish black metallers Teufelsberg stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, Pakt mit dem Teufel. Set for international release on October 31st via Signal Rex, hear Teufelsberg‘s Pakt mit dem Teufel in its entirety here:
Since their ascent from time’s abyss in with the public debut with the 2020 demo Ancient Darkness Triumphant, Poland’s Teufelsberg have stood against the modern world – and namely, the modern “black metal underground.” Using their noble Polish roots as an unshakable aesthetic foundation, the horde lit fires for the olden days with each successive recording, culminating in both a covenant with Signal Rex and their debut album, Ordre du Diable, during the early half of 2022.
Keeping those fires blazing brightly and blacker than ever, Teufelsberg return their second full-length strike, Pakt mit dem Teufel. As cold and grim as ever, the band here spelunk among corridors rich in the treasures of pre-internet black metal, integrating not only their ancient Polish idiom but also contemporaneous Nordic and Hellenic ones. In a sense, there’s a sense of deja vu…initially, as the deeper one dives among Teufelsberg‘s treasures, the more those jewels shimmer in a manner uniquely the band’s own. As ever, the horde’s raw-yet-clear tones and attendant execution are superlative for their defiance against prevailing trends, and the full might of their mysticism is surely felt every second of this six-song/38-minute album.
“Pakt mit dem Teufel was signed in blood somewhere in Poland during the full moon in 2022,” the band declare. “Teufelsberg continues to follow the path of Unholy Black Metal. The funeral bell carries its song bathed in moonlight. It calls impure souls to the top of the Devil’s Mountain, calls to make a pact and worship HIM.”
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Teufelsberg’s Pakt mit dem Teufel 1. Hunger etter synd 2. Der ruf des Mephistopheles 3. Gospel of Diabolical Freedom 4. La Beauté du Diable 5. Noc Walpurgii, Lucyfera Dar! 6. Wpiekłowstąpienie (in Herrlichkeit inmitten der Flammen)
